north shore sweetie

oceanside

the music of jack johnson often plays in the background while north shore artist heather brown paints in her studio surrounded by the cascading blooms and balmy trees of the countryside. it was hawaii's waves that initially lured heather to the islands from california in 2001, but, after a series of jobs in and about the ocean, she eventually decided the time had come to follow her passion for making art. with a fine arts degree from uh, heather now spends her days with paintbrush in hand to reveal the surface of the sea in a whole new light.

heather's work has always reminded me of the mesmerizing translucence of stained glass so it was a bit of a surprise to learn that was one of the few mediums she has yet to explore. the defined lines that are a signature of her artwork seem to be an homage to heather's background in printmaking and her style effortlessly captures the movement of glassy waves and laid back days at the beach with happy pops of color.

white plumerias

surf girl

in a full circle moment, last year heather met kim johnson (jack's wife & co-founder of the kokua hawaii foundation) who recently tapped her to create the official concert poster for the 2008 kokua festival as well as the artwork seen on plastic free haleiwa's re-usable totebags.

original paintings and silkscreened prints & tees can be ordered online, and heather's artwork can be found hanging in wyland gallery (haleiwa), chinatown boardroom, wet feet (aina haina), and wave riders gallery (san diego).

chinatown boardroom

since its doors opened last year, and after many failed attempts, my trip home over the holidays finally presented a chance to step inside the chinatown boardroom. with a row of candy colored custom surfboards and rotating art exhibits featuring emerging island artists, the small space packs a restrained yet visual punch reflecting the style of its thirtysomething owners eric (resident surfboard shaper) & jackie walden.

the space is reminiscent of something you would expect to find in sf or seattle with everything from street art to surf photography mixed with artist designed tees (jewelry lovers take note: tucked away in a corner is a glass case filled with the delicate creations of local designers justine jones and rona marie). the result is a fresh and youthful vibe that was missing in the neighborhood's gallery scene.

be sure to stop by on the third thursday of the month when chinatown boardroom hosts the surf discussion series. next up: living the dream (mar 20th).

• where: 1160 nu'uanu avenue
• hours: tue to sat, 11a to 4p

{update | oct 2012: alas, chinatown boardroom closed its doors earlier this year. mahalo eric & jackie for creating such a wonderful space for local artists and designers. good luck on your next adventure!}

paddle on

1 - wrap the wave warriors in your life with the latest designs from 'oiwi ocean gear. the retro crazy waves jersey is sure to turn heads while the ladies score a playful update in 'oiwi's hihimanu jersey.

2 - hable construction's canoeing snowmen stocking is a definite splurge but a hard to resist gift for your favorite paddler.

3 - then again, you can always upgrade your giftee's paddle for slightly more than a fancy new xmas stocking. kialoa's limited edition signature outrigger paddle is hand shaped and signed by designer (and kailua native) dave chun.

greatest show on earth

winter storm

the first time i saw christie shinn's winter storm, a memory pulled up to the surface . . . not a specific one per se, but something about it was evocative of times spent on the beach when the sun skipped behind the clouds and the whole world seemed to stop for just a moment.

you might not expect that a self-taught artist from canada, who caught her first true wave while on a visit to england, would become one of the emerging artists documenting life on the north shore. during her hopscotch journey around the world, christie eventually found her second home in the islands where being both an insider and outsider allows her to catch the small moments that slip by unnoticed by most folks.

it is these glimpses of everyday life, be it an after school surf session or an informal gathering on the shore, in the world's most renowned surf spot that christie artfully captures on canvas in a way that seems familiar if you have spent any time on hawaii's beaches

greatest show on earth

yellow board

christie's work is expanding beyond the traditional confines of the art world with her colorful graphics popping up on everything from tees to skateboard decks. you can take a peek at her artwork at deep ecology on the north shore as well as wyland's haleiwa outpost which is hosting the second annual surf art show next month as part of the festivities surrounding the vans triple crown.

• when: sat, nov 24th - 6p to 10p
• where: 66-250 kam hwy (north shore marketplace)

for the beach boys

ever * j.crew

 the humble board short, a staple of surfers everywhere, has gone designer with a price tag to match.

1 - what appears to be a vintage find is really ever's modern day nod to old school style (perhaps for sunning at queen's beach?).

2 - j.crew has also gone retro with a summer inventory filled with vintage inspired board shorts (vintage hawaiian & maili point patterns shown above). fyi, a hush hush sale is in progress so enter secret code privsale at checkout to save 20% on orders over $175 (expires tomorrow night at 11:59p est).

patagonia * maui rippers

3 - patagonia can always be counted on for patterns not typically found on the beach with their wavefarer II  line (tree people shown above). and if you prefer to hit the surf while staying true to your eco-friendly ways, take a peek at their yard sale shorts made of recycled soda pop bottles then head up to the north shore to pick up a pair at patagonia's haleiwa shop.

4 - it's no surprise that maui ripper's hawaiian ali'i board shorts (shown above) caught my fella's eye with its colorful polynesian tatau pattern. the paia company specializes in board shorts tough enough for island lifeguards and is one to bookmark if you have been hunting for larger sizes (they stock shorts up to size 44).